Findings in Carlow Mayo well water contamination released
Two weeks ago, The Bancroft Times published an article entitled “Residents allege well water contamination from township salt shed” about two residential properties in the town of Boulter in Carlow Mayo Township owned by Dawson and Sharon White and Colleen Hudson and Jason Chamberlain that were alleging that the township’s salt shed has contaminated their property’s well water with salt and it has been an ongoing issue. On May 14, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ communications representative Lindsay Davidson forwarded the results of the ministry’s investigation into the alleged contamination of the township’s salt shed to The Bancroft Times.
The residents in question, Colleen Hudson, Jason Chamberlain and Dawson White contacted The Bancroft Times through family friend Greg Koch on April 11, alleging that the township’s salt shed had contaminated their well water and that the MECP had tested the water and found that the well on Hudson and Chamberlain’s property and the well on White’s property salt concentration was in excess of the desired 20 mg/L limit. The former property’s well registered 31.9 mg/L while the latter property registered 102 mg/L.
Davidson sent along an update on the MECP’s investigation into the salt contamination at these two properties on May 14, telling The Bancroft Times that the ministry has completed the review of the well water sample results and has shared the findings with Hudson, Chamberlain and White.
“Sodium and chloride concentrations in the well water samples collected by the ministry were below any actionable concentration. Given the available data and considering the use of road salts for de-icing on Boulter Road and on residential walkways and driveways it cannot be concluded that local wells are being impacted by the municipal salt storage building. Road salts are exempted as a contaminant under the Environmental Protection Act,” he says.
Davidson told The Bancroft Times that ministry staff have recommended that the Township of Carlow/Mayo implement best practices in relation to sand/salt management at the municipal salt storage building. He said that the ministry will be following up with Carlow Mayo regarding the development and implementation of the plan outlining best practices for salt/sand management at the municipal salt storage building.
“The ministry has requested that the township submit a copy of the plan by May 31, 2024 for our review and comment,” he says.
The Bancroft Times reached out to Carlow Mayo Township, Colleen Hudson and Jason Chamberlain and Dawson White for comment on this update, but did not hear back by press time. The Bancroft Times will continue to follow this story and report on any further updates as they arise.
Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Bancroft Times